This list of German World War II jet aces has a sortable table of notable German jet ace pilots during World War II.
Background[]
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat (The Germans traditionally set the threshold at 10 victories.). During World War II, hundreds of German Luftwaffe fighter pilots achieved this feat flying contemporary piston engine fighter aircraft.[1] However, only 28 pilots are credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft while flying a jet-powered aircraft.
Jet aircraft made their World War II combat debut when Leutnant Alfred Schreiber, flying Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a W.Nr. 130 017 (German language: Werknummer – factory serial number), attacked a No. 540 Squadron Royal Air Force Mosquito PR XVI (a photo-reconnaissance aircraft) over the Alps on 26 July 1944.
Although often referred to as the first aerial victory by a jet fighter in aviation history,[2] the damaged Mosquito managed to return to an Allied airfield in Italy. The first jet victory was therefore the confirmed destruction of another No. 540 Squadron reconnaissance Mosquito PR XVI, which was shot down by Leutnant Joachim Weber over Ohlstadt on 8 August 1944.[3]
By 1944–45 the German Luftwaffe committed three new types of jet- or rocket-propelled fighters to combat operations. Besides the Me 262, the rocket propelled Me 163 "Komet" and the He 162 "Volksjäger" had become operational. Although a few claims were made by pilots of the Me 163 and He 162, no pilot achieved ace status on either of these two types.[4]
German jet aces[]
This along with the * (asterisk), indicates that the pilot was either killed in action or killed in a flying accident.
The list is initially sorted by the number of jet victories claimed.[5]
Footnotes[]
- a Kurt Welter is credited in excess of 20 aerial victories while flying the Me 262, but the exact number is disputed.[10]
References[]
- Citations
- ↑ Spick 1996, pp. 2–3.
- ↑ Radinger & Schick 1993, p. 51.
- ↑ Morgan & Weal 1998, pp. 16–17.
- ↑ Spick 1996, p. 204.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 88.
- ↑ Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 17.
- ↑ Weal 2003, p. 92.
- ↑ Radinger & Schick 1993, p. 60.
- ↑ Foreman & Harvey 1995, p. 81.
- ↑ Hinchliffe 1998, pp. 210, 294.
- Bibliography
- Boehme, Manfred (1992). "JG 7 The World's First Jet Fighter Unit 1944/1945". Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-88740-395-6..
- Boyne, Walter J. (1980). "Messerschmitt Me 262 Arrow to the Future". Smithsonian Institution. ISBN 0-87474-275-7..
- Foreman, John; Harvey, S.E. (1995). "Messerschmitt Combat Diary Me.262". Crecy Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-871187-30-3..
- Hinchliffe, Peter (1998). "Luftkrieg bei Nacht 1939–1945". Air War at Night. Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-613-01861-6..
- Morgan, Hugh; Weal, John (1998). "German Jet Aces of World War II". Orsprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-85532-634-5..
- Radinger, Willy; Schick, Walther (1993). "Messerschmitt Me 262 Development Testing Production". Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-88740-516-9..
- Spick, Mike (1996). "Luftwaffe Fighter Aces". Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2..
- Weal, John (2003). "Bf109 Aces of the Russian Front". Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-84176-084-6..
External links[]
The original article can be found at List of German World War II jet aces and the edit history here.